Conventional flashlight handles, while useful, make it difficult for the user to hold the handle while using the hand for other activities, and as such are unsuitable or undesirable in certain circumstances. For instance, in the area of law enforcement and security operations, it is desirable that a flashlight handle enable the user to readily hold and direct the flashlight while freeing up the same hand for other uses, such as for the control of a firearm. Moreover, many flashlights lack handles altogether. In order to control both a firearm and a flashlight in combination, officers are typically required to hold a flashlight in one hand while holding the firearm in the other, thereby compromising the support and stability that is otherwise available in employing a firearm with two hands. One method of reducing some of the loss of support arising when dedicating one hand to employing a flashlight is for an officer to extend the arm with the hand holding the firearm across and on top of the arm with the hand holding the flashlight. This method, however, requires constant readjustment when an officer is in motion or after discharging a firearm and does not direct the beam of light directly along the light of sight of the firearm muzzle. Existing flashlights with built-in holders aggravate the problems as the holder design is uncomfortable and difficult to grip when using a device such as a firearm. Furthermore, existing flashlights with built-in holders have a design which makes it impractical for an officer to wear such a flashlight around the waist when it is not in use.
In co-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/713,217, now issued as U.S. Patent No. 5,743,623, there is provided a flashlight holder which attends to the above needs in the art and enables a user to readily hold a flashlight in combination with a firearm. While the flashlight holder in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/713,217 provides a useful improvement in the art, additional flashlight holder structures presented herein have been invented which offer alternative means for controlling a flashlight. Moreover, with the variety of flashlights on the market, there remains a continuing need for alternative flashlight holders.
As previously mentioned, it is most desirable to use two hands when employing a firearm. There exists in the art flashlight holders which are attached directly to firearms, thereby permitting the user of the firearm to place both hands on the weapon. However there are a variety of difficulties associated with these designs. One known design consists of a specially molded forestock that replaces the standard forestock on a shotgun. Contained within the adapted forestock is a dedicated housing for a flashlight, which includes an integrated pressure switch that operates the flashlight. This design is somewhat impractical and expensive since it requires that the entire forestock of the shotgun be replaced in order to attach the integrated flashlight and holder mechanism. Since the holder and flashlight consist of one piece, the flashlight can also not be removed, should the user wish to do so. This holder design also requires that the flashlight be located underneath the barrel of the gun, so the flashlight is not easy to see and access. More importantly, this design is not suitable for many types of firearms, such as handguns.
Another known flashlight holder consists of a mounting clip in a double collared shape which attaches directly to the end of the barrel, ammunition tube, or forestock of a firearm. This holder is associated with a flashlight that is attached to a pressure sensitive switch located at the end of an expandable, curled cord which allows the user to affix the switch to a convenient location on the firearm. This design can be problematic since the expandable cord could easily become entangled while the firearm is in use and create a safety hazard.
Consequently, a need exists for a flashlight holder which is adaptable to any type of firearm, inexpensive, and easy to install and remove from the firearm. Such a design must also allow the firearm user easy access to the flashlight, and must ensure that the flashlight remains visible. This design will also permit the user to have both hands directly on the firearm without having to place one hand on top of a switch in order to operate the flashlight.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide alternative and improved means of support for flashlights having no holder. It is a further object of this invention provide an improved means of controlling a flashlight when using another article or device, such as a firearm.